FIFA presidential hopeful Vega in it to win it

LONDON, Nov 10 : Former Switzerland captain Ramon Vega won the League Cup with Tottenham Hotspur in 1999 despite playing in the final with a broken ankle and believes that determination can carry him to victory in his campaign for the FIFA presidency.

The 55-year-old ex-central defender made more than 60 appearances in the Premier League and also enjoyed a season in Serie A with Cagliari plus a loan spell at Celtic.

Since retiring in 2003, Vega - who speaks six languages - has forged a successful business career and attempted to run for the FIFA presidency in 2015, 2019 and 2023.

Vega has no doubts he can topple Gianni Infantino next March when FIFA’s 211 member federations decide who will lead world soccer for the next four years.

He says his combination of playing experience, business acumen and integrity makes him the best man to bring together supporters, administrators and players.

To get on the ballot paper, Vega has to win the backing of at least five national federations ahead of next Wednesday’s deadline for nominations, as well as demonstrate he has recently worked in a soccer role.

Although he will not reveal who is endorsing him, Vega says he has backing across every continent, not least because he has spent a large amount of his own money in the last decade visiting more than 140 countries to canvass support.

'HERE TO WIN'

"I'm a football player, okay?" he told Reuters via Zoom from Dubai. "If as a football player I go to a cup final and I believe I'm going to lose, I'd better hang my boots up before I go to Wembley Stadium.

"The election is the same philosophy. I'm here to win. You need to have courage and determination.

"If I look back on my own personal experience as a professional player, when I won the League Cup I played with a broken ankle (for) 90 minutes, so that gives you the answer if I want to win or not.

"I will go all the way to make sure we are winning for the sake of the game. I'm not interested about me. I'm defending the people's game."

Earlier this year it was widely expected in the game that Infantino would stand unopposed in Rabat next March but all that changed when details of his FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme emerged in July shortly after the World Cup.

Infantino proposed selling off a stake in FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup - a plan that angered those who run soccer around the world, but especially in Europe, the Americas and Asia.

"MORALLY AND ETHICALLY IT IS UNACCEPTABLE" 

Vega says he has no personal grudge against 56-year-old Infantino, but that his fellow Swiss had become an autocrat who was driven by his own ego.

"Let's be honest, selling off the World Cup behind the back of the FIFA Council, the whole FIFA family, it's a full betrayal," he said. 

"Morally and ethically it is unacceptable. And if (Infantino) had the balls, he would go out in front of 200 cameras, put his hands up and say 'yes, I made a mistake, I resign'."

Infantino has accepted that he made mistakes in the way he communicated the FFE plan and indicated he would be open to an independent review of FIFA's governance system. 

Vega was the first to emerge as a potential rival when he announced he would stand a month ago with Japan's former FA chief Kozo Tashima the only other declared runner since.

"I have had a very positive reaction," Vega said of the reception he had received on his globe-trotting. 

"Historically, FIFA has never had a player at the top. I was a supporter, I came inside as a player, now I am a supporter again. I have empathy and that's why I'm ready to serve the game and unite all of these people."

Infantino remains favourite to win a fourth term in power after shoring up support in recent months, although sources with knowledge of the matter say European soccer governing body UEFA is still searching for another challenger before the deadline.